when was golf invented

Golf, as the modern game we know it today, was invented in Scotland during the 15th century. The first official written mention of golf dates back to 1457 when King James II banned the game as a distraction from military training. The ban was lifted in 1502 by King James IV, who was a golfer himself. The oldest recorded rules of golf were established in 1744, and the standard 18-hole golf course was created in 1764 at St Andrews, Scotland. While many ancient stick-and-ball games resembling golf existed in different cultures, including in the Netherlands and China, the defining elements of modern golf—especially playing with holes and specific rules—originated in Scotland in the 15th century.